Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-12-23

now perceive, can aUUdCn 10 us.
"And we are not paupers after all ?"
said Cicely. "Then l know whom we have
"No doubt" said Sibyl. Herr Paulus
will explain it all to us presently"
why did you sell the shares ?" asked
Tom.
"I-I-I cannot remember" Never
anywhere had one seen more bewilder-
ment in the face of human creatures, at
is a most wonderful thing. l cannot re-
member anything at all about it,"
mot remember making so great
change in your investments ?''
NO it is most remarkable thing. |
see that it is | confess that it is Yet can
not remember why sold the shares or
how | gave instructions, or anything at
all about them. 1t is most remarkable"
ut is. indeed" said Tom, gravely. He
remembered his guardians complaint
about forgetting every day what passed
in his excursions tr and from Abyssinia
He didn't believe in those excursions, but
he began to suspect some sort of softening.
Only man whose brain was going could
forget such thing as the transfer of
thirty five thousand pounds.
II did sell them, that is certain. And
have not yet invested the money in any
thing else" Mr.. Brudenel went on. at
is all in my current account. Most won
derful. Paul, do you know anything
Can you throw any light? Can you help
us to understand this ~
ASK me anything" Paul replied, EEK
cept about business. | know no more of
shares and money than | know of Tom,
cog wheels, and springs"
Here is the Bank Book, with note
from the manager, which | found in the
drawer of my table"
Paul took both. On the left hand side
of the Bank Book was an entry
by sale of shares, 3E5, 456 l3s. Cd"
The managers letter, dated on the same
"a hook
Dear Sir.-ln accordance with your in
struCtions have sold all your shares in
Brudenel and Co. The stock was at 3571@.
| have placed the amount realized. viz.
t35, 456 lbs. Cd, to your credit until further
Instructions" That was all.
you see," said Paul. "he says. in &C
cordance with your instructions To be
sure, he could not sell them without your
instructions. At least, suppose not"
And you do not remember giving those
instructions ?' Tom asked. ITO begin
with, you must have had reasons far sell
ling them"
"Well, Tom, | must have had reasons.
| suppose | had reasons. What do you
think my reasons were now : IL anybody
could remind me of those reasons | might
remember"
Somebody must have warned YOU
told you something-ar your suspi-
cions. In such a matter as the Solvency
of this Company-your own Campany-lt
must have been something very serious
indeed that could make you resolve to take
such a step as to sell out all your shares.
You must have gone through a consider
able period of doubt and hesitaton-you
must have argued with yourself-perhaps
| with someone else"
Never with me-" said Paul, on whom
Toms eye rested first.
Nor with me, said Lady Augusta for
| the same reason.
"Yon must one would think, have pass
ed days of consideration and doubt-you
must have felt most anxious about the
safety of the Company The resolution
must have caused you the greatest pain.
And yet you forget-you forget"
"Of course" said Cicely, "Paul's
Friends helped. He asked them. this
morning to help and they did They told
us to send for the Bank Book.
"UnfOrtunately for that theory, Clcely"
said Tom, 1.-The transfer of the shares took
place three weeks ago Even Pauls
Friends, presume, without wishing in
any way to limit their powers, cannot &C
tually put time back for three weeks. To
annihilate space is one thing. To bring
back and alter the past is another"
Perhaps" said Mr.. Brudenel, my
daily visits to Abyssinla absorbed my at
tention altogether and make me forget
everything"
POSSIBLY" Tom replied III l went to
AbyssinIa and back every day, should
lit is most wonderful" Mr.. BrudeneI
said, for the tenth time.
''If | might offer suggestion" said
Paul gently, "it would be this: On the
23rd of this month, Mr.. Brudenel's guar
danship ceases. He may have intended
to hand to each OF his wards their portion
entire, to be re-invested as they might
think best, and, therefore, he sold out
without any doubts at all in his mind as to
the solidity of the Company. He had in
vested theirs to the best advantage he
would now in surrendering his trust give
them not an investment, but the whole
portion in a cheque."
THAT was it-that was it ~ cried Mr.
Brudenel, eagerly jumping at the suges-
reason why ! sold out. That was my in
tention. That was in my mind. That
accounts for it. Ia fact, remember ev.
erything now. You see. Tom, don't you
why sold out Thank you, Paul. You
always come to our help in everything"
But" said Tom, who had now looked
at the other side of tina Bank Book, there
is something else here. How do you &C
count for paying away the whole of the
money week after to other people ?"
What paying away ! To other people ~
In three cheques e.s,o To- Tom read the iol-
10000; to Rupert P. Zelgler 100000 to
Surabjee Kamsitjee' 5000"
"What ?" This was more unexpected
even than the entry on the left hand side.
Look for yourself. Do You remember
those cheques ?"
Mr.. Brudenel read the entries. Yes
the whole of the money so wonderfully
rescued from the falling Company had
been paid away in those three cheques.
He looked about him helplessly. What
does 1t mean :" he asked. 81 remember
nothing ut all" he said Nothing at all
about any of these cheques"
Then all with one consent turned to
Paul Even Thomas the doubter and 81
byl the Intidel turned to Paul for expla-
nations.
Come" said Tom. THE first of these
gentlemen, Mr. Izak Ibn Menelek, the il
lustrous Sage OF Abyssinia, who gets Il
cheque for goo is, believe. a personal
friend of yours, Paul. The least you can
do for us in the matter Is to ask him for
an explanation how and why he got the
money"
Certainly, will ask him to explain
| fha w hnla hnaipaSc thau oil